Legacy Metrics

1963 Ferrari 250 GT/L Berlinetta (Lusso)

5141roadItaly
Engine
3.0L V12, Tipo 168 U, outside-plug ignition, single-cylinder porting, three carburetors
Colour
Deep blue

Chassis 5141 is the 133rd Ferrari 250 GT/L Berlinetta (Lusso) produced, completed in October 1963 as a European-specification car with a Rosso Duco exterior and Nero Vaumol leather interior. Powered by the matching-numbers Tipo 168 U V-12 with its Testa Rossa-derived outside-plug heads, the car has been certified by Ferrari Classiche with a Red Book issued in 2011 confirming matching numbers throughout. Distributed new through the official Turin dealer, the Lusso subsequently passed through a well-documented chain of American owners, competing in Ferrari Club of America concours events and earning a Gold Award in the Early 12-Cylinder class in 2007.

Ownership

  1. Auction sale
  2. 1970 → 1973Acquisition unknown
    P. Paul Pappalardo
    partial documentation

    Enthusiast from Batavia, New York; this was reportedly his first Ferrari, sparking a lasting passion for the marque.

  3. 1973 → 1981Private sale
    Jack Hughes
    partial documentation

    Resident of Kingston, Ontario; arranged a repaint in metallic light blue during his tenure.

  4. 1981 → 1996Private sale
    J. MacGeorge Snyder
    partial documentation

    Vermont resident who reportedly participated in regional Ferrari Owners Club activities with the car over more than a decade.

  5. 1996 → 1998Private sale
    Robert Brown
    partial documentation

    Fellow Vermont resident; had the exterior finished in dark blue, interior re-trimmed in tan leather, and the engine upgraded to a six-carburetor arrangement with velocity stacks.

  6. 1998 → 1999-05-01Private sale
    Peter Hosmer
    partial documentation

    New Hampshire resident who held the car for approximately one year before selling.

  7. 1999-05-01 →Private sale
    Harry Matthews
    partial documentation

    Based in Golden, Colorado; displayed the car at the FCA National Meeting in 2000 and eventually sold it approximately three years after purchase.

  8. → 2008Private sale
    Glenn Farrell
    partial documentation

    Maine resident who showed the car at multiple events, earning a Gold Award in the Early 12-Cylinder class at the 2007 FCA concours.

  9. 2008 → 2019Acquisition unknown
    George Bunting
    full documentation

    Monkton, Maryland collector who had the car serviced by Paul Russell & Company, restored to the original three-carburetor intake, and obtained Ferrari Classiche Red Book certification in April 2011.

  10. 2019 →Private sale
    Consignor
    full documentation

    Conducted a thorough mechanical freshen after purchase and participated in the 2019 Mountain Mille rally; additional brake and engine work followed, with a full fluid service completed in May 2022.

  11. Date unknownFactory delivery
    Garage Fontanella & Co
    partial documentation

    Official Ferrari dealer in Turin; served as the distribution point for the car upon completion in late 1963.

  12. Date unknownPrivate sale
    Unknown Italian owner
    none documentation

    Identity not recorded; car was later exported to the United States and repainted metallic silver-grey during this period or shortly after.

Competition

  1. 1996-08-01Ferrari Club of America
    33rd Annual Ferrari Club of America National Meeting

    Car was presented by Robert Brown at Watkins Glen, New York; nature of any formal judging result not recorded.

  2. 2000-07-01Ferrari Club of America
    FCA National Meeting and Concours, Broadmoor and Colorado Springs

    Exhibited by Harry Matthews; no judging result mentioned.

  3. 2004-05-01
    Tutto Italiano, Larz Andersen Museum

    Display appearance in Brookline, Massachusetts, presented by Glenn Farrell.

  4. 2007-08-01Ferrari Club of America
    FCA National Meeting and Concours d'Elegance, Watkins Glen
    Gold Award, 1st in Early 12-Cylinder class

    Car won top honors in its class at the concours while owned by Glenn Farrell.

  5. 2015-03-01
    Amelia Island Concours d'Elegance

    Shown by George Bunting; no placement recorded in the prose.

  6. 2015-05-01
    Vintage Ferrari All Italian Car Event, Reisterstown

    Event organized by Radcliffe Motor Car Company in Maryland; display appearance while still owned by George Bunting.

  7. 2019
    2019 Mountain Mille
    Completed — 1,100 miles finished without mechanical issues

    Rally undertaken by the consignor shortly after acquisition; car performed reliably throughout.

Maintenance & restoration

  1. 1973
    Bodywork

    Exterior repainted in metallic light blue at the direction of Jack Hughes.

  2. 2011Inspection
    Ferrari Classiche

    Ferrari Classiche Red Book certification issued confirming matching-numbers chassis, engine, gearbox, and coachwork, with suspension and brakes of correct specification. Rear axle replaced with correct Tipo 539 U unit and wheels upgraded to wider Borrani wire wheels.

    Application made by George Bunting; rear axle replacement with correct-type component was part of the certification process.

  3. 2019
    Service

    Thorough mechanical inspection and recommissioning including new fuel pump, driveshaft rubber coupler, fan belt, mufflers, brake pads, and jack plugs; cabin lighting and clock repaired; correct cigarette lighter fitted; driveshaft balanced.

    Carried out after acquisition by the current consignor in January 2019.

  4. 2019
    Mechanical

    Brake master cylinder and brake booster replaced; front bodywork touched up.

    Follow-up work after the 2019 Mountain Mille rally usage.

  5. 2022Service
    Ferrari Motor Service

    Full fluid service including oil filter replacement, installation of a new mechanical fuel pump, and engine resealing.

    Majority of work performed by former factory mechanic Andy Falbo at Ferrari Motor Service in Fountain Hills, Arizona; brake work handled by Harmon Classic Brakes in Georgia.

  6. Bodywork

    Exterior repainted in metallic silver/grey, presumably after export to the United States.

    Occurred sometime during the 1960s; original Rosso Duco finish was changed.

  7. Bodywork

    Coachwork refinished in dark blue by Robert Brown.

    Carried out during Brown's 1996–1998 ownership.

  8. Maintenance
    Richmond Upholstery

    Interior retrimmed in tan leather.

    Commissioned by Robert Brown during his 1996–1998 ownership; shop located in Vermont.

  9. Modification
    RPM Company

    Engine upgraded from the standard triple-carburetor arrangement to a six-carburetor setup with velocity stacks.

    Work commissioned by Robert Brown; carried out by Peter Markowski's RPM Company.

  10. Service
    Paul Russell & Company

    General servicing by Paul Russell & Company, including reverting the engine intake back to the original three-carburetor configuration; exterior refinished in deep blue.

    Conducted during George Bunting's ownership, prior to Ferrari Classiche certification application.

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Each chassis record is compiled from public auction archives and links to its source material. Ownership, competition and maintenance entries are extracted from those catalogue listings by an LLM, which can make mistakes — please contact us with any corrections. The summary is Legacy Metrics’ own writing; we do not reproduce catalogue text.

“Full” and “partial” documentation labels indicate how well each entry is corroborated in the underlying sources, not an audit of the car’s physical paperwork. Names of recent or living owners are withheld for privacy.